A 1,744 acre park, five miles west of Newton and U.S. Route
206. It is located on the shores of both Swartswood and
Little Swartswood Lakes.

Directions:

By car only: From New York City, take US 80 west to Exit 27
for Route 206 north. Take this route to Newton. In Newton follow
traffic around center square to signs for Route 519 north; take
this route for a short distance then turn left onto Route 622
west. Take Route 622 west (Swartswood Road) to junction with
Route 619. Turn left onto Route 619 (East Shore Drive) and go
half a mile to park entrance on the right. Turn right onto
entrance road and park in first parking area on the left (by the
park office). Be prepared for trail hiking and ventures onto wet
pond shores.

History:

The park area was once farmland with fields of hay and grains separated by
stone fences. Much of this farmland is now returning to forest.

The name for Swartswood comes from Captain Anthony Swartwout, slain by
Indians.

During the French and Indian War (1754l-1763), a raid by the Delaware Indians
had as its goal the capture of Captain Richard Hunt of Hardwick (now Hunt's
Pond, Fredon), Captain Daniel Harker of Stillwater, and Captain Anthony
Swartwout of Great Pond (now Swartswood Lake). They attacked Swartwout's farm.
They killed his wife and three of her children. Anthony and three of his
remaining children had to surrender as captives. About a mile from the
house, the Indians killed him. They also killed the youngest of the three
children, probably because she was too small to keep up with the escaping
raiding party. (McCabe 2300:14)

Keen's Grist Mill is located off of County Route 521 near the outlet of
Swartswood Lake. This mill was built in the 1830's on the site of several other
mills, the earliest dating back to the Revolutionary War. This mill was used to
grind locally grown grains.

The mill was built on the site of an earlier mill built by Charles Rhodes. Blair
Academy (founded in 1848 by John I. Blair) acquired it in 1895 to control the flow of water to the Academy's power
station on the Paulinskill at Paulina. In the 1930's, Mary and Levi Serey, who
lived in Lake Cottage, managed the sluice gate for the Academy and rented boats
on the millpond. A new dam was built in 1905. In the 1980s a still newer dam was
built by the Army Corps of Engineers.

early 1900s -- Swartswood Lake was a major resort, according to local
historian Elsie Roof, with weekenders coming into nearby Blairstown by train
through the 1940s. The North Shore Inn, visible across the lake, was once a
booming hotel. The Casino and The Dove Island Inn were other places for
visitors to stay. Later, weekenders stayed in summer cabins. (source: http://www.njskylands.com/tnstlwtr.htm)

Lake Cottage, Swartswood Lake, was at the southern end of the millpond fed by
Swartswood Lake, one half mile north of Middleville. It was a boarding house
patronized by summer visitors. The house is still there.

The State of New Jersey began acquiring land for Swartswood State Park in
1914. The Emmans Grove Picnic Area was one of the original acquisitions. The
12.5 acres gift was from Mr. George M. Emmans with "... an intent that the
people may have use of the premises herein conveyed as a public park forever . .
."

Some of the actions taken or proposed are: inactivation of internal
phosphorus by hypolimnetic aeration, weed harvesting, development of a septic
management plan, implementation of homeowner best management practices, and
control of future land development.

Trails:

There are approximately 4 miles of hiking trails and 41 miles
of multi-use trails. The hiking trails include the Spring
Lake Trail and Mill Trail. The Spring Lake trail is 2.5
miles in length and is accessible from near the Duck Pond Group
Camping Area. The Mill Trail is a 1.3 mile loop accessible
from the Keen's Grist Mill parking area.

Multi-use trails include the Northern portion of the Sussex
Branch Trail (13.2 miles) and the Paulinskill Valley Trail (26
miles).

August 11, 1998 we saw a mother bear and her two bear cubs on
the highway on the road near the West Shore Cartop Boat Launch,
Swartswood. They certainly took their time getting off the
road so the cars could pass.

The evening of the 16th of late July found me under the
hospitable roof of Rev. Mr. Clarke, of Stillwater, Sussex County.
Early next morning his two sons, students in Lafayette College,
drove me three miles, to the southwestern extremity of Swartswood
Lake.

On the edge of the stream near the outlet, the following
plants were noted:

Taking a boat, the young men rowed me up the western shore,
three miles, to the head of the lake. This shore has a few
limestone bluffs and sheltered coves between. The water is
shallow and our course lay through acres of Nymphaea odorata, and
Brasenia peltata. Underneath, at a depth of three feet or more,
the bottom is covered everywhere with the dark, regularly
disposed plume-like, waving stems of Potamogeton robbinsii, among
are to be seen, here and there, patches of Potamogeton
amplifolius, distinguished by its lighter yellowish hue, and
broad leaves curiously twisted and curled.

In one of the coves we came upon Nasturtium lacustre (in
flower and fruit). I had collected it during a former visit (Sept
2, 1879) at a single station, but now it was observed at various
places from the head of the lake to the outlet. The leaves, both
those above the water and those beneath, are very easily detached,
so that it is difficult to make complete specimens. At this spot
we fished up half a dozen stalks of Ranunculus aquatilis var
divaricatus (in flower) and Potamogeton lucens (in flower and
fruit).

The opposite border of the cove is lined with a dense growth
of Saururus cernuus, conspicuous by its nodding spikes of
fragrant flowers. This plant is common all along the Paulinskill
Creek from the lake to the Delaware, fifteen miles, but , strange
to say, it has been observed, as yet, on that river, only at
Trenton, about seventy miles further down.

As we passed around the main bluff, or promontory, some bushes
of Myrica cerifera were seen on its slopes, and at its base, a
solitary Salix lucida.

From this point we proceeded over a considerable bay to the
northeastern end of the lake and glided into an area, several
acres in extent, occupied by Nelumbium luteum. The vernation of
the leaves is involute. Some project themselves above the water,
whilst the others stop at the surface. These latter in unfolding
assume the form of a bowl, or basin, or inverted skullcap, and
are very pretty objects at they float. When fully expanded, they
are of a deep green color above and lie flat on the water, which,
cast upon them by the dip of an oar, rolls and divides itself
like quicksilver, emitting a brilliant silvery light. The cause
of this phenomenon is worthy of investigation. The leaves of
Orontium aquaticum behave in the same way.

To our great disappointment not a single flower could be
discovered in the entire colony. It may have been too early for
their appearance, or else the summer lodgers of the neighboring
hotels and farm houses had gathered them all.

A little further to the east, I look for Heleocharis
quadrangulata, where I had discovered it September 2, 1879. It
was now in flower, and still plentiful. In coasting back along
the eastern shore we found Taxus baccata var canadensis, as
abundant on the rocks as in September, 1879. On one of the
undisturbed and untilled islets in the middle of the lake, it was
a surprise to see Solanum dulcamara, flourishing luxuriantly
amongst the aboriginal vegetation.

After dinner, at 2 p.m. Mr. P. P. Clarke drove me over from
Stillwater to Blairstown, 6 miles, in order to take the evening
train at that place For three miles along the road the eye was
attracted by the frequent occurrence of Zanthoxylum americanum,
Rosa rubiginosa, and Cnicus pumilus. Midway on the route, we
turned into a lane, to the left, and soon reached a lakelet of
oblong shape and about three-fourths of a mile in length called
White Pond. A white line of shell-marl all around its margin
indicates the origin of the name, it lies in Warren County close
to its Sussex boundary. The boat we had counted on for the work
of circumnavigation could be seen some distance out on the water,
occupied by two men, who were fishing for black bass. Our
exploration had, therefore, to be done on foot, and so we tramped
for nearly one-half mile through a wide swamp on the border of
the pond. The plants noted and collected here were

Of these, two (Rhynchospora capillacea and Carex ederi) are
new in the flora of New Jersey. Carex flava was collected years
ago by the late Dr. A. P. Garber in Sussex County, where he also
obtained Lobelia kalmii, but the latter was sought for in vain.
The result of my visit to the charming lakelet gave me so much
pleasure that I mean to see more of it at an early day.

Easton, Penn. Thomas C. Porter

August, 1884, Vol. XI, #8, p. 90-92

July 5, 1907

The day was spent on a trip to Swartswood Lake. Mr. Joel
Carter presided at the evening session.

Dr. Britton reported Polygala paucifolia, showing good fruit,
both aerial and subterranean, also one tree of Diospyros
virginiana and a peculiar form of Ilex verticillata. The
terrestrial form of Ranunculus delphinifolius was observed on the
muddy border of a pond.

It is interesting to note the finding of the persimmon in this
latitude, and it may be of interest to add that during several
years of botanizing around Allentown, PA, I found just one tree
of this plant, and that along the roadside in a similar situation
to the one noted by Dr. Britton.

reported by Philip Dowell

Sponsor: Torrey Botanical Club

Date: September 12, 1981

Leader: Alfred E. Schuyler

With some of us in boats and others on shore, we explored the
southeast side of Swartswood Lake between Dove Island and the
northeast end. In shallow water near the shore we saw arrow-arum
(Peltandra virginica) and lizard's tail (Saururus cernuus). In
water up to about one meter deep, northern water-nymph (Najas
flexilis) was the most abundant submergent. Also in water about
this depth were numerous plants of perfoliate pondweed (Potamogeton
perfoliatus), fern-pondweed (P. robbinsii), and free-flowered
water-weed (Elodea nuttallii) along with fewer plants of
Potamogeton gramineus. In water about two meters deep, European
water-milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) and whitestem-pondweed (Potamogeton praelongus) were abundant. Some of the former were flowering but
there was no sign of flowering in the latter here at its only New
Jersey locality. Water beggar-ticks (Bidens beckii), previously
known from this lake, was not found. In the cove south of Dove
Island, a type of spatterdock (Nuphar luteum) and water-lily (Nymphaea
odorata) were abundant. Emergent peltate leaves of lotus-lily (Nelumbo
pentapetala) were visible from the highway along the northwest
side of the lake at the north end. Some of us also made a stop at
nearby Frog Pond to see Boltonia asterioides.

SWARTSWOOD STATE PARK, SUSSEX COUNTY, NEW JERSEY, AUGUST 15,
1998

The area here is dolomite of the Ordovician age. It consists
of a lot of magnesium carbonate, rather than limestone carbonate.
Swartswood Lake itself is a glacial lake gouged out by the action
of the glaciers.

The group visited the sinkhole ponds in the area. In these
carbonate areas, fissures develop relatively easily, even being
subjection to solution by rain water. Caverns develop underground.
These cavern then collapse creating sink holes. These sinkholes
are often ephemeral ponds. Lots of water fowl and five rare
salamanders make their home here. In the winter and spring the
water levels are relatively high, but drop in the summer and fall.
Last year and this year (1998), the water levels are the lowest
in forty years.

The group first walked to Little Frog Pond, which at times
mimics a flood plain. A row of sycamore trees (Platanus
occidentalis) lined the west side of the pond, while a row of
silver maple (Acer saccharinum) lined the east side. The pond was
dry at the time of our visit. Blooming in the ephemeral pond were
Asclepias incarnata (swamp milkweed), Boltonia asteroides,
Lobelia cardinalis (cardinal flower), Lycopus uniflorus (Northern
bugleweed), Mentha arvensis (wild mint), Penthorum sedoides (ditch
stonecrop), Polygonum amphibium (water knotweed), Scutellaria
lateriflora (maddog skullcap), and Sium suave (water parsnip). In
bloom near the old pond edge was Lysimachia ciliata (fringed
loosestrife). A number of sedges were found in this area,
including Carex cryptolepis, C. lanuginosa, and C. viridula,
along with the rush Juncus acuminatus.

Rick Radis reported finding twenty plants of Aristolochia
serpentaria (Virginia snakeroot) in the woods, but we could not
find the species in spite of considerable searching of the area
he described. We did find, however, some interesting ferns
including Asplenium rhizophyllum (walking fern) and Woodsia
obtusa (woodsia).

After lunch the group visited Duck Pond, which, at one-half
mile long, is one of the longest sinkhole lakes in the state.
Many ring neck ducks stop here at this pond. A Chara sp.
dominated the sinkhole pond. These plants are only found in
limestone waters their "leaves" often encrusted with
carbonate. Also in the water was Potamogeton gramineus, one of
the pondweeds. The shores were dominated by Boltonia asterioides
and Mentha arvensis. One bloom was found on a plant of Alisma
subcordatum (water plantain). Two sedges found were Carex bebii
and C. typhina.

The weather was slightly overcast which made it a cooler day.
Total attendance was 17. The trip leader was Dr. Kathleen
Strakosch-Walz. Rick Radis, the co-leader, was ill and could not
attend.